Pests Guide
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Shield-shaped green bugs that emit foul oudor when disturbed
Green shield bugs appear in the garden from early spring through summer to autumn.
They have strong mouthparts with which they pierce leaves, stems and fruit of plants so that they can suck sap and juices.
This causes plants to wilt and produce becomes impaired with holes that can cause fruits to rot
Bugs holes cause plants to wilt and produce becomes impaired with holes that can cause fruits to rot
Hand pick bugs off individually in the early morning when they are still sluggish and aren't as quick to fly away
If you do catch one, squeeze it and throw at the base of a plant.
Any shield bugs in the vicinity will act on this warning sign and jump of plants to play dead on the ground.
If you put a sheet underneath plants it makes it even easier to spot and collect the fallen bugs.
Dispose of them permanently, chucking them out of the garden will only see them returning in next to no time.
If you have the time to check the underside of outer leaves on your plants eggs are fairly easy to spot and can be rubbed off.
Due to numbers though, this is only going to have an effect if you remove adults too.
Eggs look like tiny barrels and are arranged in rows.
Plant Catch Crops.
A catch crop is a plant or group of plants that are introduced into the garden to lure pests away from cherished plants.
Plant blocks of ‘catch crops’ away from plants like tomatoes, capsicums and beans – this provides place for shield bugs to congregate in numbers making it easy for you to then remove shield bugs in large quantities.
Solution for Sunflowers – check the back of flower heads, Mustard – sow every four weeks from early spring to keep up a flowering stock that will match the flowering phases of your food plants.
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